Editing List of Shards (section)

== "Future" Shard ==

=== Known Hosts ===
Heavily implied, but not explicitly stated, to be the shard of [[Dinah Alcott]].<ref name=":3" />

=== True use ===
One part of the broader cluster of shards used by the [[Warrior Entity]] to "perceive the future". It was used for viewing specific possible futures of both individual shards<ref name="aishatrigger">Not many, but there may be glimmers where the subject is capable of perceiving the information stored in the shard as the connections are formed.<br><br>For good measure, the entity breaks up one shard cluster, tunes it, then codes the effect into each and every shard.  It studies the host species further, refines, attunes.<br><br>It takes time, but the entity forms a sufficient safeguard.  The host species will forget any significant details.<br><br>The broken shard is cast off, joining countless others.  It will bond to a host.  The entity looks forward, checking.<br><br>After the target planet has revolved thirty-three times around its star, this shard will connect to a host.<br><br>A male guards his offspring, a female, with his size and bulk.  A group of hostile bipeds cluster around them.  They call out, making unusual loud sounds, suggesting intoxication.  One of the hostile ones gestures, gripping its male parts, pulling them free of their coverings.  A sexual gesture follows, waving the organ left and right, thrusting it into the empty air.<br>[...]<br>It views the future again, with changes made in the code.<br><br>This time, the shard settles in the male, then immediately shifts to the more distressed female.<br>[...]<br>The female disappears from the awareness of the hostile ones that surround it.- [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2013/08/10 Excerpt] from [[Interlude 26]]</ref> and the entire cycle,<ref>The entity looks to the future, to see if this is sustainable, efficient.<br><br>All seems well.<br><br>A view of other bondings suggests this emphasizes younger targets, particularly those in a middle stage of development, between a lesser phase and an adult phase.  Emotions are higher at that juncture, and the possibility of conflict increases further.- [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2013/08/10/interlude-26/ Excerpt] from [[Interlude 26]]
</ref><ref>The entity looks to the future to check for danger.<br><br>''Plague.''<br><br>All signs point to the shards murdering their hosts.<br><br>The hosts must be protected, or this will be disastrous, counter-intuitive.  The entity adjusts the innate safeguards, protections to reflect the host species and their tolerances.  The bonding process will protect the host, where the host needs protection.  Shards that are capable of providing flame at will cannot burn the hosts, now.  Shards are reorganized, combined and clustered where necessary, to grant sufficient protection.<br><br>''Infestation.''<br><br>Better, but not perfect.  The entity refines the process, limits certain abilities, so they will not eradicate too many at a time.<br><br>''Soft.'' The broadcast is sent out to the counterpart, along with suggestions and tips on how to refine the shards.<br><br>''Agreement'', the counterpart accepts.<br><br>But the entity can still see fallout effects.  There are parallels in memory storage.  Not many, but there may be glimmers where the subject is capable of perceiving the information stored in the shard as the connections are formed.- [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2013/08/10/interlude-26/ Excerpt] from [[Interlude 26]]
</ref> as well as to estimate probability of the cycle's failure.<ref name=":4">Always, in the course of its examination of the possible futures, it was evaluating, checking to see what was necessary.<br><br>A quick glance into the future, not so deep a look as to expend too much of its remaining energy.  Conservation is key at this juncture, and from here on out.<br><br>The entity’s present configuration is satisfactory.  The chance the cycle can be interfered with has become infinitesimally small. - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2013/08/10/interlude-26/ Excerpt] from [[Interlude 26]]
</ref>This shard-cluster is all but stated to be the Warrior's equivalent of the Loner's [[List of Shards#Path to Victory|Path to Victory]], which is possessed by Contessa.<ref name=":3" /> Although the cluster is particularly energy-intensive when used to its full capacity, encouraging the Entities to be cautious in their use of it,<ref name=":4" /><ref>Three hundred and thirty-one revolutions before the shards reach a critical mass and enough information is gathered.  To look to the future and seek that information in advance would take too much energy.  To do this and fail would be a catastrophic setback in the cycles. - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2013/08/10/interlude-26/ Excerpt]<span> from </span>[[Interlude 26]]</ref> it is not any more energy-intensive or inefficent than the version possessed by Contessa. The difference between them is that Contessa is entirely willing to have the power on at almost-all times and drain its energy reserves within a human lifetime, while the Warrior is more hesitant to waste energy needed for the long-term i.e. future cycles.<ref>[https://www.reddit.com/r/Parahumans/comments/4bppjt/what_if/d1bkond/?utm_term=28378077385&context=3&utm_medium=comment_embed&utm_source=embed&utm_name=null Reddit comment] approved by Wildbow, archived on [https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/worm-quotes-and-wog-repository.294448/page-15?post=29824546#post-29824546 Spacebattles].</ref>

Although Scion cast off the Future shard to seek a human host, he retained much of the rest of its cluster, allowing him to continue to view the future without it.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":5">Aggressive actions, but it didn’t matter.  The entity was invulnerable.  It could glance into the immediate future and know there was no potential reality where this male would be able to harm it.<br>[...]<br>The entity looked to the future, looked to possible worlds, and it saw the ways this could have unfolded.  It burned a year off of the entity’s life, but he had thousands to spare anyways.<br><br>There was a scene where the entity stood over the broadcaster’s corpse and ruminated on what had driven the male to such extremes.  The shard wasn’t a particularly aggressive one.<br><br>A scene where the man died, and years passed, the entity slowly coming to the same conclusions as it observed the rest of the species. - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2013/08/10/interlude-26/ Excerpt] from [[Interlude 26]]</ref>